Monday

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

I almost didn't tell you about this.

But I knew you, my dear, faithful readers, would understand.

Because you know me.  You know my kids.

And you can completely understand how it is entirely possible to end up in the Emergency Room. Twice.  In.  One.  Week. (Actually, about 5 days, but who's counting?)

Oh, I wish I was kidding.  I thought about not sharing this because, you know, you might think I was serious about the name of my blog.

I mean, I wouldn't want you to think we really are THAT family.

But. We. Are.

We met my parents for dinner at one of our local favorites.  We cleaned our plates and let the baby join the other kids in the game room area.  She was having a ball, sticking her hands in the gum ball machines and eating off the floor.

She sauntered back over to our table, crawled up on the picnic table seat and with all four adults watching, she slipped through the space between the bench and the table and landed head-first on the concrete.

The hit made a sickening sound.

I jumped to grab her and smeared ketchup all over my hands.  So, when I picked her up, my family thought she was bleeding.

And it probably would have been more of a relief to see a small gash.

Nope.  Nothing.  

Only a pale, screaming child, who began vomiting from her head injury.

I'm so not kidding.

And she couldn't walk.  We let her stumble around for about 12 seconds and decided an ER visit was for dessert.

My parents took my older kids home and the hubby and I sped to the hospital.

They rushed us back to triage to check her pupils and look her over.

The nurse recognized me.  From my visit on Father's Day.

So did the Doctor.

By this time, our toddler was acting more herself (as in dumping the contents of my purse onto the floor).  

As the Doctor tried to decide whether or not to sedate her for a CT scan, the nurse commented on our frequent visits.

And so I said, "Yeah, we're like THAT family."

I thought my hubby was going to choke on his own saliva.  Later he said, "My word, why didn't you just pull out your laptop and see if the ER had WiFi, so they could read today's entry!"

I told him I couldn't help myself.

They gave our toddler a bag of cookies and  cup of apple juice to see if she would continue throwing up. 

She didn't and she enjoyed the snack.

They sent us home with stern instructions to wake her up every few hours all night long and return if she vomited or her stumbling grew worse.

We signed off on all the papers they shoved in our face as the discharge nurse called, "See you in a couple of days for stitches."

That's verbatim, people.

And the receptionist encouraged us just to 'come for coffee next time if we really wanted to see them.'

Yeah, we're pretty much gonna have to move.  To another town.  Immediately.

*Update* Our toddler showed no further signs of a concussion and after we berated ourselves for our negligence, we all slept happily ever after. The End.  Until the next time...

73 comments:

World's Greatest Mommy said...

How scary! I'm so glad she's okay. And even though you're THAT family, you just do it so well...be THAT family. THAT is something to be proud of.

Sweet dreams!

Kate said...

Oh, I'm SO glad she's okay! How scary.

When I worked in an ER, we saw families that were "frequent fliers". I remember one family that had 3 or 4 kids - one was the patient, one had a recent cast on his arm and another had stitches still in. The mom just shrugged and said "Yep. We're back."

What're ya gonna do? LOL

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness. I was getting a pit in my stomach. You are just not supposed to write, I am not kidding, Kristin. It's just not your style, but I guess I'll let it pass this time what with the concussion and everything. Yikes!

I love that they KNOW you! lolol I've contemplated driving across town to a different restaurant so they don't know me. Is that bad? :)

Anonymous said...

Thank the Lord for your daughter being okay. My parents went through the same thing with my brother when he was in middle school. They knew my family by name. I guess I grew up in THAT family - lol!

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh you poor baby!! Im so glad everything is OK now! I just wrote about sick kiddies too but not nearly as bad. That is so scary!

Growin' with it said...

nothing like a commercial for your blog in the midst of a crisis to help you laugh a little!!

boy what a tough day. glad to hear it worked out in the end. although getting up every so many hours...not fun for all of you.

my son fell out of a grocery cart once. and no i wasn't one of those mom's 4 shelves down an aisle...i was right there, just couldn't catch him fast enough. but man that sound on the cement was horrifying. so i feel your pain!

sleep tight!

twin power mommy ♥ said...

My goodness! How frightening is that!
My Caitlyn fell on her head about three years ago and she, too vomited after the fall. Come to find out the vomiting was just a coincidence because she ended up having the stomach flu and that's why she fell...her equilibrium was off whack!
My other daughter ended up puking her brains out that very next day so that's how we knew it was a bug and not the bump itself!
Those trips to the ER are not fun....
Glad your baby girl is doing better. :)

Kisha said...

OMG my heart stopped when she slipped. I know your heart stopped when it happened, I know mine did when my baby slipped off the couch backwards to fall on a tile floor. Big hugs for you guys.

Anonymous said...

I think some kids are just those kinds of kids. Adventurous! :) I'm glad things turned out okay though - it is really scary as a parent to see your child like that.

Melissa said...

We seem to be at our ER quite a bit as well. Although, not in the same week. We have had two false alarm arm breaks and the beautiful x ray pics to prove it! They are beatifully unbroken!

Jamie said...

What a scare! Glad she is ok!

The comment by your hubby about ER and WiFi made me laugh!

Storytellin' Mama said...

That is the worst feeling, watching your child get hurt. I'm so glad she's okay.

I remember when my first son fell down the stairs at about thirteen months. My husband and myself were standing just out of reach and we watched him in slow motion...

He was fine, but it was scary...

Hope she continues to recover!

Anonymous said...

Oh my. I know you guys were scared. Thank goodness all is well.

I suppose coffee with the ER staff is much better than the latter. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh, no, Kristin, I've been there for a sickening thud like that. Beyond terrifying. Glad everything was alright.


If it makes you feel better, we use to go so often for asthma flareups, my son could get his juice and crackers from their kitchenette all by himself. Every year, my new year's resolution is to NOT visit the ER. Never achieve that goal yet.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad your sweet baby is okay...but I am also soo glad you shared because I am laughing my head off right now! I am glad you can keep your head in the midst of a crisis and get in a plug for your blog. When I taught kindergarten, I had a family like yours. They started calling ahead and going in the back entrance of the hospital because they visited so much they were afraid of someone calling DHS! Glad everyone is good now!

Unknown said...

I'm so glad she is okay! Don't feel bad, a couple of my boys have done face plants when climbing up to sit on picnic tables. I can't believe the nerve of the nurse though. Jeeze!

MT said...

Once you have three kids, you're outnumbered -- one will always find a way to slip your attention and do something they shouldn't.

We've all got one (or more) of those THAT family stories! Mine always seem to happen in public around non-parenting adults!

:)

MT said...

Once you have three kids, you're outnumbered -- one will always find a way to slip your attention and do something they shouldn't.

We've all got one (or more) of those THAT family stories! Mine always seem to happen in public around non-parenting adults!

:)

Threeundertwo said...

Concussions are so scary! I'm glad everything turned out OK. You are such a funny writer, and your husband's comment cracked me up.

Kristi said...

Poor baby! Her and you, that is.

Suzie said...

Oh my goodness that is too horrible and too funny. I am so glad she is ok. It almost made me feel better my son grabbing a cactus yesterday.

Colleen - Mommy Always Wins said...

Oh my word! Poor kiddo! Sounds like she's OK now...but how are your nerves?!?

Anonymous said...

Thank heavens our ER visits for kid related injuried have been only two in he last 6 years. But both of them were for my four year old, one for stitches, and the other because he swallowed a freaking quarter. How do you do something like that?!?

cajungal01 said...

Oh you poor things! I'm glad everyone is ok and there was no more vomiting and such. Is there another ER nearby at all? Maybe you could start rotating where you go?
;0)

A Christian Mom said...

Oh man... I'm glad your little one is OK! When my 2 yr old was about 5 months old, she fell of the edge of my bed... even though I was holding her back with my hand. She landed on a lamp I had just set there, while doing some straightening up. It had this thing on top, that was somewhat pointy. She fell asleep about 30 mins later, woke up about 15 mins later & then started vomiting all over my carpet. I called her ped & they said, "how fast can you get here?" Um... yeah, I wasn't scared, lol. She was fine, though... but I also had to do the waking up every couple of hours.

Hopefully you won't be back to the ER for a while, lol.

Me said...

LOL... I loved this post. I think what made it especially awesome were the quotes about coming for coffee if you really wanted to see them and such.

:)

Lisa said...

Oh my goodness and good grief. I am so sorry for your scare. Isn't parenting tough. Hang in there... it only gets worse (sorry!)

Amanda said...

Oh my!!! I know that sick sound when their little heads hit the floor. I am sooooo glad she is okay. It is amazing how strong their heads are. I will NEVER forget the time I dropped Ethan head first after his bath- it beat myself up for days!

Cassandra said...

sorry for the er visit. Even more sorry for the jab to the heart. As if we need help with our mommy guilt! lol I do a good enough job of feeling guilty on my own thank you! :)

Steph V said...

Sooo been there! This happened to our son a few weeks after turning two. He was in the booster seat at our kitchen table and got his feet wedged up between the table and seat and gave a huge kick. It sent the tall (bar size) rod iron chair flying backwards. And SMACK.

He cried for a few and then was fine. After a couple of hours I let him take a nap - FINALLY. When he woke up he started vomiting like crazy. We took him into the er and between getting there and leaving the next day, he threw up 14 times. They did a MRI at the hospital we were at and then ambulanced us to the children's hospital downtown where a pediatric neurosurgeon was on-call - just what every parent wants to hear. After another MRI and 6 more hours we got to go home. It was awful and yes...we too felt like THAT family!

Marcy Massura said...

Glad she is okay!
Once on my third trip to the ER in 7 days (and I only have 2 kids!)the check out nurse handed me a home-made looking card. It said "Frequent Visitor" on it and they had mad little hole punches on the bottom of it...like a card you get at your favorite coffee place. She said 'after 10 visits you get a free head scan'....Apparently she and the other nurses thought this was so so funny....I guess that is what they are doing while you are waiting forever to check out! I laughed....I mean it was prettty pathetic to be there so often. We also had a visit from a 'special' doc while there...fishing around for abuse I think. I plainly said 'no abuse- just neglect." He didn't laugh...two of the injuries happened in the 10 seconds I was trying to PEE.....I mean what the heck was I supposed to do????? I had no idea mommying was so dangerous!

Anonymous said...

LOL! I've yet to make an ER visit. But I just got finished telling my daughter to "quit falling right now!" She's been falling every twenty minutes or so since she got up this morning, which she did by falling out of bed.

Queen B said...

Bless your heart! Those things seem to come in pairs, don't they?

I'm so thankful your daughter was ok. That sounds so scary.

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

Oh goodnes. How scary. You didn't really do the ketchup thing did you? :-)

Julie said...

I just hate the sound of a head hitting the concrete. My baby has fallen a couple times on the sidewalk by our house. I'm sure it wasn't as hard of a hit as your baby had, though. I'm so glad she's okay!!
Julie

Unknown said...

I hate head injuries :-( Glad the little one was OK!

Maybe if you show the ER staff that you've made them celebritites on your blog, they'll laugh and think you're cool. Instead of THAT family :-)

Jenileigh said...

ROFLOL!!

I'm soooo glad she was fine!

You definitely are a hoot!

Anonymous said...

Glad your little one is alright.

We once had neighbors with three boys. Two were already sporting casts. The youngest proceeded to fall off of the toilet during a potty training session, and, you guessed it, he ended up with a cast as well! I can't imagine what the ER folks thought!

Life in the Crazy Lane said...

In our old neighborhood, we lived down the street from two pediatric nurses, and it was a normal sight to see a parent running to their house with a toddler in their arms at random times in the day or night. The last time I did it was when my second split her lip when she tried to throw herself onto the sofa but ended up throwing herself onto the wood floor.

Adrienne said...

OMG first I hope she is doing well now.

By the time my son was a teenager he knew all of the nurses at the local ER by name and we were even invited to a retirement party for one.

Anonymous said...

Wow! As I was reading this one, I got so worried wondering where it would lead to. I am thankful your sweetie is ok.
Must be nice to live where everyone knows your name... Chick-Fil-A drive through, the ER... you really are a celebrity!!

Missy said...

I'm so glad she's okay. And I loved the comments from the nurses. Too funny!

Dawn @ simply transparent said...

Just to make you feel better, when calling in to the Poison Control Center after a few times (read in one month)they the operators knew our middle sons name by our phone number.

It happens!


P.S. Got the COOKBOOK! IT's so easy a "cave man" can use this!LOL!
Thanks again!

Valarie Lea said...

I thought it was bad that the people from our local mexican restaurant knew me by name and my order.

This tops mine. :o)

marky said...

Oh my goodness.. what an eventful time! Glad that you have become recognized at the local ER.. it may make for speedier service LOL!
So glad to hear the toddler is A-OK now!

Anonymous said...

I thought we were "That" family! That comes from 5 doctors or hospital visits for 2 kids in one week. First for Strep Throat, then same child with a broken arm the next day, then Hand, Foot and Mouth for the other child, then the pulminologist for both, then the orthopedist again for the broken arm. All in 6 days. You start to wonder about the black cloud following you around.

Andrea said...

Oh my...thank goodness she's ok. Is there another ER close by? Maybe you can take turns with 'em?

katylinvw said...

wow! i'm glad she's okay - the sound of floor hitting concrete is a recurring theme in many of my nightmares - oh, and there's an award waiting for you at my blog :)

Anonymous said...

Oh I am so glad she is okay!!

Okay and as far as the nurse Oh my WORD! How funny and weird at the same time. Once they have you on a first name basis it is time to move--or at least go to a different er next time ;-)

Unknown said...

That is so scary! So glad she is OK!!

Anonymous said...

Oh My Goodness! I'm so happy she'd OK. Wow, you are THAT family. Growing up, my DH lived in THAT family....☺

Rachel said...

I'm glad she's ok - how scary!! :(

j said...

Gosh I'm glad that she is OK. We have been in for stitches (not twice in one week). Not fun. Try to avoid that.

Be blessed.

Jen

Darla said...

First I was extremely scared for her.

Then...you ARE that family....LOL!!!!

Too funny.

The Apron Queen said...

OMG. I had goosebumps reading this. I am so glad to hear she is OK.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad your baby is okay. I know that is so scary. What your husband said about the WiFi made me laugh so hard.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to hear that your baby girl is ok. How scary that must have been. I'm sure you aren't the first Mama to bring her kids in frequently. Its just a passing thing - soon you'll forget where the ER is.

D... said...

Whew, I'm glad your toddler is a-ok! I imagine that was a long night for ya'll.

Mama Smurf said...

I'm glad she's alright. You poor thing.

So now, you're not only known by name at the local drive through but you also have a frequent flyer pass at the ER. Not too shabby for a SAH mommy blogger!

Dawn said...

Glad everyone is okay. Well, except maybe for your nerves. And your pride.

Oh, wait... we have our pride removed during childbirth, don't we?

Leader of the Dream Brigade said...

So, so happy the baby is fine! But I did feel a bit like I was reading a screen play of my life, lol. I have three babies, too and I swear, sometimes it seems like each one gets hurt every day on a rotating basis. Especially during the summer time. Just today, our youngest was playing with the dog while we were grilling our supper. She ended up with a badly busted lip...because Mamma has put off taking the dog to the groomer and getting his nails clipped. Bad Mamma!!

I just found your blog tonight and it's such a great read! I linked to you over at www.just-audrey.blogspot.com ...hope ya don't mind!

Happy Mommy said...

Poor baby, I am so glad she is ok! Head injuries are so scary! SEE YOU FOR STITCHES!!! Ha! She missed her calling in comedy!

Sheila said...

Don't feel too badly. My husband's a pediatrician and he can see through the really negligent families pretty quickly!

If you had two parents and two grandparents there, plus you were concerned enough to come down, and she knocked her head at a restaurant as opposed to on a coffee table during your keg party, you're okay.

They're just ribbing you....

Visit To Love, Honor and Vacuum today!

The Fritz Facts said...

I am so glad that she is ok. Head stuff freaks me out.

I laughed...when they told you they would see you later for stitches. Pretty much what Boo's doctor told us yesterday. She is sitting next to me telling me to stop laughing. lol

Jessica said...

How terrifying. Baby Bum fell face first on the kitchen floor last week and I was certain he had broken his nose. It did swell but nothing major. So glad she is okay.

Anonymous said...

How horrible! Glad baby girl is o.k.

Unknown said...

I think kids have little Angles watching over them. I mean, there are SO many times we, as parents, think the child should be half dead is okay. Thank goodness the little one is okay, but that would have scared the crap out of me if my child hit her head and started throwing up! YIKES!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lynn said...

Is there anything you don't have a sense of humor about? LOL. What is it with baby girls and purses...glad she is herself again. Lo)

Anonymous said...

It feels so WRONG to giggle while reading this.

Please forgive me. :)

I'm very glad to hear that she was okay, and I don't blame you for rushing her to the E.R. and I agree... the sound of a child's head against concrete makes a SICKENING thunk. Enough to make me nauseous and stumble around just thinking about it.

Kelly said...

Ohmygsoh- that would have been terrifying! I am so glad she is ok, and I am with you on being "that family".

We have also been frequent flyers at the ER and I joke that they have s epcial file for people like us.

Frizzy said...

So scary! I read the superglue post and now this one too. I have to say I am so sorry for laughing at your family's pain. When I was a baby my mom broke her leg playing softball. A week or so later I broke my arm while sitting on my dad's lap. I was facing him and he dropped my bottle. So, he leaned over to get it and I did the famous backwards lunge. He grabbed my arm to catch me from falling. Needless to say Crack went me little arm. Off to the Air Force Base ER I went with both parents. Next day, I have a cast the size of my entire body and my mom has a cast from her tippy toe all the way to her hip. Who shows up but the base Social Worker and Child Protective Services. My parents had to get their friends to vouch for my dad in order to prove he wasn't abusing us. YEAH! Once again. We are THAT family too.

Anonymous said...

Don't feel bad. My poor mother in law had 3 children. One day the middle child decided to break her arm not sure of specifics. Went to ER and had her all fixed up. Meanwhile back at home, oldest child did some crazy trick and broke her tailbone. Poor mother in law had to turn right around and drive back and got the same doctor! Her only saving grace was my husband managed to NOT break anything that day.